Benji Marshall predicts Parramatta Eels’ Mitchell Moses will still live up to ‘next big thing’ tag

“He’s always been an unbelievable talent. What we’ve seen the last few weeks is he looks comfortable in his role, he looks calm, and like he wants to own that Parramatta team.

“I’m really happy for him. It was a tough year last year for him. There was a bit of talk about him being released. I think he’s found his niche there.”

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Moses was one of the Tigers’ big four – with Tedesco, Luke Brooks and Aaron Woods – before he was released mid-season in 2017 to link with the Eels.

It was a messy exit and plenty of Tigers fans have found it tough to forgive him.

Moses remains good friends with Tigers halfback Brooks and while they are no longer housemates, still went out at Christmas together and splurged on a couple of jet-skis.

The 24-year-old has started the year in style for the blue and golds and now shapes as the Tigers’ biggest threat.

Josh Reynolds, now the proud owner of Moses’ No.6 jersey, said of the Eels playmaker: “I’ve always rated Mitch as a player. He plays the short sides nearly the best out of anyone in the game, so we’ll have to be on to that

“He’s definitely stepped it up a level, probably since Corey Norman left.

“They may have been fighting for that dominant half role, then you saw Brad Arthur come out and say to Mitch, ‘This is your team’, and it’s worked.

“He’s good at organising and he’s got a competitive nature as well. Parra are going well, they lost their five-eighth [Dylan Brown], but Mitch seems to enjoy that pressure on him.”

Balmain great and Moses’ uncle Benny Elias was impressed Sheens identified him at 17, but told the Herald: “I identified him at 14. He was a Parramatta junior, I went to ‘Rocket Reddy who was in charge of recruitment, Roy Spagnolo was the chairman and Paul Osborne was the CEO, I told the three of them, ‘This kid is special, he’s a cracker, and if you don’t want him, we’ll steal him from you’. I was on the Balmain board and I said I’ll being him over to the Tigers, and they said, ‘You can have him’.

“We signed him up at Holy Cross, he did years 11 and 12 and became a Tigers junior.

“I’ll be going for the Tigers on Monday, but for Mitch to be the man of the match in a losing side

“He’s a way more mature kid, he’s focused, and since Corey has left he’s taken responsibility and ownership of that team – and you can see it on the paddock.”